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This is what Mayor Alfons Besel says about the common good economy in Gmund

2021-09-11T13:08:13.444Z


The community of Gmund is committed to the economy of the common good. Mayor Alfons Besel explains in an interview what this means for the future and the development of the place.


The community of Gmund is committed to the economy of the common good.

Mayor Alfons Besel explains in an interview what this means for the future and the development of the place.

Gmund

- In August the Gmund municipal council decided unanimously to want to develop the place according to the goals of the Common Good Economy (GWÖ).

The sustainability concept of the Austrian Christian Felber has ardent supporters and tough critics.

In an interview, Mayor Alfons Besel (FWG) explains how the concept should work in Gmund, why the people of Gmund do not have to fear any bans and why he sees the GWÖ as a locational advantage.

Mr. Besel, Gmund is committed to the economy of the common good.

What can people expect now?

For example, will those interested in building have bad cards in the future?

Alfons Besel:

No.

We will not work with do's or don'ts.

The economy of the common good is about finding good directions together with people for the challenges of the coming decades.

How exactly is that supposed to work?

Let's stick with building

.

Alfons Besel:

It's like this: We need building land, we need apartments.

Those who plan sustainably take these social aspects into account.

But he also considers the ecological ones.

That means there are conflicting goals: How do I create living space and save space at the same time?

I expect fair solutions to these conflicts through the GWÖ and the discussion it initiates.

This can even make building cheaper.

By setting up building associations, for example.

OK.

But does the community need an economy for the common good?

You would have tried to resolve these conflicts anyway.

Alfons Besel:

Of course, that's true: We in Gmund have been

grappling

with the topic of sustainability since 2000, when we started the Agenda process.

I noticed the GWÖ for the first time in March 2018, when Franz Galler gave a lecture at the Gmund primary school.

At that time I was still critical of them because I saw the issue of sustainability in the agenda process better.

In the meantime I've changed my mind because the GWÖ makes sustainability more tangible and measurable.

They allude to the common good matrix, which measures goals such as “co-determination and transparency” or “ecological sustainability” from zero to 100 percent success.

Alfons Besel:

Exactly.

The matrix is ​​an important tool because the community has many roles in sustainability: we plan the renovation of community buildings, have LED street lights installed, do the land-use planning and much more.

The matrix illustrates the values ​​that we want to keep an eye on.

It also shows where we stand in terms of the common good and sustainability and where there is still potential.

This helps us to keep track of things and to make the right decisions.

When do you want to involve citizens?

Alfons Besel:

We want to build the process solidly, not stumble into it.

We are currently preparing an application for Leader funding for an external supervisor who will oversee the project.

I assume that we will start either at the end of next year or in 2023 to work out the goals and review mechanisms for the GWÖ in workshops with the citizens.

Is there a working group that checks whether, for example, codetermination and transparency have become better or worse?

Or do we do a new workshop every two years?

Let's look into the future 20 years.

When was the project a success and when was it a failure?

Alfons Besel: It was

a failure if it remained a paper

tiger

.

It was a success when our children and grandchildren feel comfortable in Gmund and find the resources here to be able to shape their lives.

It would also be a success if companies choose Gmund because they see the innovative and sustainable climate as a locational advantage.

Some criticize the economy for the common good as anti-competitive and anti-business.

Do you see them as a locational advantage?

Alfons Besel:

Yes.

Employees pay close attention to which companies they associate with.

Because qualified employees move to places where they can live well and sustainably, companies find the best employees there.

That makes the GWÖ a locational advantage.

In addition, sustainability and the common good are not just lip service from companies.

You support the idea.

Do you provide the breeding ground for achieving these goals?

Alfons Besel:

Exactly.

This is another advantage of the location.

In general, I think that the economy of the common good is hardly suspect of wanting to revolutionize the existing economic system.

It represents the same values ​​as the social market economy: freedom, responsibility, solidarity.

mas

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-09-11

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